Clothes-washing-machine agitator



Aug. 21, I928. 1,681,464

L. CAMETO CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE AGITATOR Filed Oct. 1926 IN V EN TOR.

' ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED .STATES 1,681,464 PATENT OFFICE.

LEON CAMETO, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO MODERN, FOUNDRY ANDPATTERN WORKS, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

CLOTHES-WASHIN G-MAC HIN E AGITATOR.

Application filed October 6, 1926. Serial No. 139,849.

My invention relates broadly to washing machines and is directedparticularly to an improved rotary-oscillatory agitator for clotheswashing machines.

\ It is an object of my invention to improve the efiiciency and eflicacyof washing machines by teaching a generally improved form and placementof agitators therefor.

It is an object of my invention to reduce the wearing and tearing actionof washing machines on clothes.-

It is an object of my invention to increase the efiiciency and efficacyof washing machines by providing an agitator which is designed toprevent clothes or parts of clothes from catchingon, in, under, or aboutthe agitator. The device of my invention is designed to prevent clothesfrom lodging in a position relative to the agitator which decreases theaction of the agitator upon them or which decreases the effectivenessof, or load upon, the agitator.

It is further an object of my invention to secure the above describedresults without sacrificing any of the recognized superiorities ofcertain past designs of agitator. It is furthermore an object of myinvention to produce an improved agitator which is simple, reliable, andeasy 'to manufacture, and which is inexpensive. H

Other and ancillary objects of my invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, or will be suggested by use of my improved device.Certain of its advantages c'an be realized by modifications within thepurview of my invention and with the use of less than all its improvedfeatures I desire not tobe circumscribed other than by the limits set upby the claims finall determining my invention.

Re erring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of my improved agitator. Fig. 2 is a central verticalsection of the agitator in operative position in a tub. Fig. 3' is anenlarged detailof a peripheral portion of Fig? 2 showing the actionofthe ottom periphery of the agitator on a piece of fabric in lodgementthereagainst.

It has become common practice in clothes washing machines toproviderotary agitators Within a tub containing soapy water and theclothes to be washed. The agitator is rotated alternatelyin oppositedirections to stir up eddy currents the water, causing it to passthrough the fabric of every portion' of the clothes. In the drawings,the numeral 2 indicates such an agitator, journaled for rotation on thehub 4 projecting from the fixed horizontal surface 6 of the bottom ofthe tub, tank or the like, with which my agitator may be used.

The agitator of my invention is a circular rotor having a highnipple-shaped central core 8 rising from a fiat breast-shaped base 10.Four agitating vanes 12, 14, 16 and 18 radiate from the core 8, andslope continually downward and outward therefrom to the peripheral edge20 of the base 10. The top edgeof each vane slopes downward at an angleof approximately fifteen degrees from horizontal to a point near theouter limit of the agitator and at which point it drops to the saidperipheral edge 20 along an angle of approximately fifteen degrees tothe vertical. Thecorners are all wellrounded. Since the outer edges ofthese vanes are made up of both curved and straight lines it isnecessary to define their geometric shape as a curve; it beingunderstood that certain portions of the curve will have an infiniteradius of curvature. The termfcurve as used in the specification andclaims is used in its geometrical sense to not exclude straight lines.Thereare no protuberances or projections on these vanes that can catchand hold apron strings and the like in any manner and cause"tearing andgeneral damage to the clothes. The

corners are obtuse-angled, and* therefore no cloth can wind arou d thembut will simply slide off. There re no projections on the i agitatorwhich, form centrifugal obstructions. Clothes do not bunch upon vandclog the agitator.

-broadest portion nearest the bottom of the tank, and as shown in Fig.2, the agitator is journaled closely adjacent to the fixed surface 6 atthe bottom of the tank.

While the agitator may be operated in inverted position in any tub, itwill be appreciated from the foregoing explanation, that decidedlysuperior results are attained by using it right-side-up in the bottom ofa tank as shown in the drawings.

Means are provided for preventing entrance of clothes into the deadspace between the fixed surface 6 and the back radial face 22 at thebottom of the agitator. It was found that the unyielding edge 20 of thebare agitator tended to cut into clothes, and that a rubber band appliedto the peripheral edge, preferably with a portion depending flexiblytoward the fixed surface 6, allowed the clothes to rub against or rollunder the agitator without harm. It was desired to prevent clothes fromrolling under the agitator however, so the improved rubber band 9.4 wasevolved. This band may be molded rubber to it a groove 26 in theagitator, or may be of unmolded rubber and stretched or otherwiseapplied to the agitator. A lip 28 depends from the body portion of theband almost into contact with the fixed surface 6, and extends outwardof the peripheral edge 20 so that clothes normally tend to ride upon thelip rather than underneath it. As indicated in Fig. 3, the band 2-1 isspaced so close to the fixed surface 6 that centripetal pressure of apiece of cloth 30 sutiices to press the band inward thereat and seals itagainst this surface. This band, by preventing entrance of clothes underthe agitator, makes it unnecessary to provide means for preventingclothes from wrapping the1nselves around the base of the hub 4:, ordiametrically around the agitator. Although flexible materials otherthan of rubber can be used for the band 24, rubber has especial meritbecause it is at once resilient, flexible, and extremely frictionlesswhen wetted with soapy water. It is moreover cheap and durable, easilyprocurable and easy to apply. It is not without the purview of myinvention to rovide rubber bands as attachments applica le to existingwashing machine agiinto a socket at the top of the core 8, by a drivingpin 38.

I claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine, a fixed surface, a rotary agitatorjournaled adjacent to said surface. and a circun'iferential band on saidagitator having a yieldable edge depending close enough to said surfaceto prevent entrance of clothes.

2. In a clothes washing machine, a fixed surface, a rotary agitatorjournaled adjacent to said surface, and a circuinferential band on saidagitator having a depending yieldable edge extending outward from theperiphery and close to said surface whereby centripetal pressure ofclothes upon said edge causes it to contact said surface and prevententrance. of clothes between the rotor and said surface.

3. In a clothes washing machine, a fixed surface, a rotary agitatorjournalcd adjacent to said surface, and a peripheral band on saidagitator having a yieldable portion depending toward said surface, toprevent cutting of the clothes between the unyielding agitator edge andsaid fixed surface.

4. In a clothes washing machine, a. fixed surface, a rotary agitatorjournaled adjacent to said surface, and a band of yieldable material onthe peripheral portion of the rotor nearest said surface.

5. In a clothes washing machine, a fixed surface, a rotary agitatorjournaled adjacent to said surface, and a band of resilient material onthe peripheral portion of the rotor nearest said surface.

(3, A rotary agitator for clothes washing machines having a peripheralband of yieldable material.

7. A rotary agitator for clothes washing machines having a peripheralband of resilient material.

8. A rotary agitator for clothes washing machines having a peripheralband of rubber.

9. In a clothes washing machine, a tub and a rotary agitator journaledwith its bottom radial face close to the bottom of said tub and havingagitating vanes projecting from the top face of the agitator with theirbroadest part nearest the tub and yieldable means depending from thecircumferential edge of the agitator to prevent tearing the clothes.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

LEON CAMIETO.

